Emperor's Reward
by Bard Linn
Summary: NWS, Lelouch/Suzaku/Kallen/Gino, AU. Emperor Lelouch is working too hard. Three members of the Rounds decide to change that.


Written for the first Code Geass kink meme.

Have some background, because I can't write AUs without it.

Japan was conquered by Britannia much earlier, when Suzaku was too young to understand. He grew up under the number system. Kallen was adopted by her Britannian relatives at a younger age and sent to court. Their she met Marianne vi Britannia who took her as a student. Lelouch grew up learning about ruling and war, quickly developing into a rival for Schneizel for the coveted position of Heir Apparent. He met Gino in adolescence; Gino dragged him on a few crazy adventures, trying to lighten the prince up (as he does with Suzaku in R2), and they became close friends.

Suzaku took advantage of a new program, begun by Lady Marianne and supported by her son that utilized the "strong survive" philosophy to seek out able warriors regardless of their heritage. Suzaku performed to the level that he was eventually adopted into the training class for what would become the next generation of Rounds. Here he met Kallen and Gino. Both became his defenders and they bonded quickly. Because of them, he met Lelouch and found a brilliant leader. Lelouch went on to eventually prove himself the most capable of Charles sons, and was named his Heir. Shortly thereafter, an assassin managed to successfully kill both Charles and Marianne, leaving their son as the Emperor.

* * *

><p>"Sir Gino?"<p>

"Princess Euphemia! What a surprise. What brings you to our humble abode?" Gino stepped aside, letting the princess come into the Rounds' common room. Thankfully it was empty except for himself, Suzaku and Kallen, who looked up from the game they were playing with concern. All three liked Euphemia, as well as her half sister, Nunnally. It was hard for someone to be friends with Lelouch and not to care about the two sisters he loved most.

It was quite possible to be jealous of them for the depth of affection he showed them, but that was another matter entirely. Nunnally insisted that he loved them equally, if differently, but Gino had his doubts.

"I'm worried about Lelouch. He just… he's always working. He barely takes time to have tea with Nunnally anymore, and even when he does she can tell he's mostly thinking about work." The princess's eyes were dark with worry, the expression out of place on her usually exuberant face. "We haven't been able to do anything to make him take some time off. We were thinking maybe you might have more success?"

"Short of drugging him, kidnapping him, and sticking him out in a place with no way to get in touch with anyone for a few days, I'm not sure how that's going to happen," Kallen grumbled. "Man's stubborn as hell."

"To say the least," Euphemia agreed, amused by her observation. "But you're his friends. If you can think of anything, please try?"

Gino paused, tapping his fingers against the wall in thought. "Well… one thing does occur to me."

"Really?" Euphemia looked excited. "Can I help?"

"Um, Princess, I suggest you stay out of this," Suzaku interjected. "If it doesn't work, His Majesty will take it out on us - and it would be better for him to have someone to talk to about it."

"All right. I hope it succeeds!" Euphemia smiled at them all, looking far more like her normal self, and saw herself out.

Kallen crosses her arms over her chest. "Okay, spill. You've got that same look on your face as when you made us repaint Bradley's frame."

"And the time you put green dye in Enneagram's shampoo," Suzaku added. "And the time-"

"Okay, so I've pulled a few pranks." Gino shrugged. "Not like it matters - His Majesty never minded."

"Only because it made Empress Marianne laugh," Kallen said quietly. All three fell silent for a moment. Marianne had taught them all, and her loss, only a few months old, still pulled at them. "And besides, it's not him on the throne anymore."

"Still. Lelouch wouldn't really do anything to us - it'd make Nunnally upset." Gino swept their worries aside. "Besides, I think you'll like this…"

* * *

><p>Lelouch dismissed the last of his maids and settled down on the sofa, a pile of papers before him. These had been haunting him for days, and he still didn't have an answer as what to do with them. Privately he wondered how his father had even managed to sire as many children as he had. Being Emperor was <em>work<em>, more so than he ever realized. Lelouch could forgive him a bit more for being absent so often in their lives, knowing what he had to handle. _He gave us what he could - Mother always told me that, but I don't think I ever understood until now._

The knock that interrupted his thoughts was unexpected, and decidedly unwanted. For a moment Lelouch considered ignoring it, but then decided he was better off knowing what new matter required his attention. "Enter."

Gino opened the door, a bottle of wine in one hand, a pair of glasses in the other. "Hello, Majesty. A little bird told me you were still working on papers. Need a sympathetic ear?"

"I'll need to swap servants again if you're getting information out of them so easily. But yes, please." All of the Rounds had access to the master wing of the palace at all times, and many had free access to the Emperor's suite. Of them all, Gino was the one that Lelouch was always happiest to see. Gino was noble-born; he understood Lelouch's way of thinking the best among his friends. Not that Suzaku and Kallen didn't have their own understanding of obligation, but Gino, having been raised in the system from birth, could pick up on subtleties they occasionally missed. He took the glass that Gino offered him, sipping the wine. It was very pleasant. Another good thing about Gino - he had excellent taste.

"So. What has our Emperor away from his well-deserved sleep?" Gino teased.

"The fact it _is _so well-deserved, partially." Lelouch held up a pile of papers. "Marriage proposals."

Gino cocked his head. "I thought you were engaged to Lady Ashford?"

"Milly and I probably will marry," Lelouch admitted, "but, as I am constantly reminded by my advisers, the Emperor is allowed to have more than one wife. Many of these are politically wise choices. I just can't stand any of them."

"Then set a date to marry Milly and push the rest of them off," said Gino dismissively. "She has prior claim, and it's pretty impolite to engage in marriage negotiations while you're getting ready to marry one woman. Your first marriage will be a thing of international significance. It will take over a year to set up, and then you'll need to go on Progress… It should buy you at least a few years, especially if you draw it out. Some of them will have moved onto other prospects by then. And you might find some more people closer to your taste in the mean time."

"Good answer. Though when am I going to find time to plan a wedding?" Lelouch frowned, trying to think of all the things he would need to arrange.

Gino snorted. "Men don't plan weddings, Lelouch. You just smile and nod at whatever your fiancee decides. Talk to Milly, then let her go. Euphemia and Nunnally can help her. They'll take care of the entire thing. Just sent a money limit with your steward." He poked his friend in the shoulder. "That's half your problem, you know. You don't delegate enough."

"There's no one else who-"

"The Prime Minister," Gino interrupted, "is more than capable of handling half this stuff. You've just chosen to give him a very light workload."

Lelouch didn't reply. It was true he hadn't kept Schneizel in the know on many issues since taking the throne, letting him handle only the most trivial of things, but...

"Look, I get that you don't trust the guy. I don't entirely blame you. But he _is _good at his job, and he knows what he's doing," Gino said reasonably. "Also, he's pretty damn smart. If he doesn't have a good reason, he isn't going to start hiring assassins - and cutting him out of the loop is more likely to set him off than anything else. He'll probably give you some slack for right now because of… well, everything, but you need to start repairing your relationship."

"Keep this up and I'll take you off the Rounds and make you an advisor yourself," Lelouch threatened. It was good advice, though. And there had been times he'd had pleasant days with Schneizel, long ago… _Surely I can convince him to work with me. Share the power, if not the throne. He would probably appreciate being one of my advisers, and I know he'd make good recommendations. _Schneizel had held his position long enough that it was clear Britannia's overall properity his greatest priority.

"So. Delegate more, use people for the jobs they're paid handsomely for, get yourself some honest-to-goodness time off and _relax_for a change!" Gino declared as he refilled Lelouch's glass.

"Hmmm, maybe," Lelouch said noncommittally. "There is one more thing bothering me, though. Think you can solve this one?"

"Hit me."

"Bismarck wants to retire. And I can't choose a replacement." The Knight of One had been badly injured in the assassination that had taken both of his parents' lives. No longer at his best, and with his loyalty and friendship to Lelouch's predecessor, it wasn't surprising that he wished to step down from the most trusted of positions. But who to chose as his successor was the problem. The Knight of One was personally responsible for the Emperor's safety, but he was also a leader in the empire who could speak on the Emperor's behalf.

Suzaku was more than capable of overseeing Lelouch's physical safety. Of all the Rounds, he was the best at combat, both in and out of a Knightmare. However, his heritage would prevent him from being taken seriously in the political sphere. Kallen was a better choice there. While she didn't go out of her way to hide her Japanese blood, most thought she was pure Britannian at first glance. Though she still had a fearsome temper, Marianne had trained her to be aware politically. Her father, while not particularly high-ranked, was noble. She was very close to Suzaku's abilities in her own Knightmare - Lelouch thought they just hadn't found the match for her yet as they had with Suzaku and Lancelot - but she wasn't quite as adept in a solo fight. _Meaning, she isn't a freak of nature the way Suzaku is. _With assassins, though, there was a very real possibility that could make all the difference.

Gino would certainly be ideal for the political aspect of the job... but Lelouch wasn't sure how Suzaku and Kallen would feel if they were passed over for him. _The perils of befriending one's subordinates, _he thought wryly.

"I can see why that would be dicey. You can take me right off the list - I don't want the job," Gino said, swirling his wine. "Couldn't stand being serious all the time. I'm more happy as a regular Rounds. Three is find for me. Let me think on the others, okay?"

"Tell me what you come up with."

"Will. Too bad you can't just have two of 'em." Gino stretched. "Another glass?"

Lelouch shook his head. "No, I should go to bed. I need to meet with Schneizel tomorrow, after all." Emperor or not, he'd need a full night of sleep to match wits with his older sibling. "Thanks for the advice, Gino."

"Any time!" Gino smiled, collecting the glasses.

Knowing full well that he'd only be annoyed if Lelouch saw him out, he rose and went into his own bedroom- Then stopped, blinking in surprise. "Kallen, Suzaku, what are you doing here?"

"You've been working too much, not sleeping enough, and going around too damn tense." Kallen declared. "We're going to do something about it."

"I just talked about this with Gino. I'll delegate more. And I was just going to go to bed."

"You won't sleep the night out. You'll only wake up and start working again," Suzaku put in. "You need to relax, and we're going to help you." He fixed Lelouch with a steely gaze as Kallen hopped off the edge of Lelouch's bed and came closer.

As good of a pair as they made, they sometimes brought out the worst qualities in each other, Lelouch reflected. There was enough stubbornness in the room to make anyone crack. "And what do you suggest? If it has anything with a hangover as a result, I refuse."

"Aww, Lelouch! It was only once!" Gino protested, coming up behind him.

Lelouch tensed a bit. "…I thought you'd left." Gino was clearly Up To Something, and had dragged his best friends into it.

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world," Gino breathed into Lelouch's ear, sending shivers up his spine. "You'll be nicely relaxed and mellow by the time we're done with you."

Alarm bells went off in Lelouch's head and he opened his mouth to protest. Seizing the moment, Kallen pressed close, kissing him. He fumbled a bit before kissing back, moving his tongue hesitantly against hers as it invaded his mouth. The sensation was strange, but not unpleasant. Gino leaned over and settled his mouth against his ear, nibbling down to the lobe before sucking on it lightly. Lelouch felt his knees go a little weak, while his groin tightened with anticipation. He was no teenager anymore, but with Gino pressed up against his back and Kallen pressed up against his front, he was very aware of how long it had been since he had taken care of himself…

"We want this. Do you?" Suzaku asked, his hand on Lelouch's shoulder, one of the few places accessible while he was sandwiched between the other two.

Lelouch hesitated. He knew he could say no, and they would stop. They were loyal to their Emperor, and more importantly, they were his friends. He couldn't say he wasn't curious; he had wondered since the three had fallen in together (they hadn't told him, but he'd be a poor friend if he couldn't pick up on these things) what it must be like. As a prince, however, he'd been very careful with his reputation, lest anything be held up as a reason to hold him back in the succession. It wouldn't have mattered as much for one of his myriad siblings, but considering his mother's background he'd been less likely to be given allowances. That, however, was at an end. He had the throne. Perhaps it was time to - as Gino would say - have some fun. "...Well. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try it," he finally said.

Suzaku smiled brilliantly and nudged Kallen over a bit to kiss Lelouch himself. Not quite as forward as she, he nevertheless succeeded in occupying the Emperor's attention - and untying the belt of his robe. "Let's get his Majesty to bed, shall we?"

Gino grinned, scooping the Emperor up despite his protests. "Excellent suggestion, Seven." He proceeded to carry Lelouch over to the bed, laying him upon it.

"The bridal treatment isn't rea-" he managed before Gino sealed his mouth to his, kissing him deeply. Reaching up with one hand, Lelouch buried his fingers in blond hair, kissing back. He was starting to get the hang of this.

Gino took advantage of the distraction to push that robe off. He met with no resistance, revealing Lelouch's white silk pajamas.

"I can't believe you actually wear those to bed," Suzaku teased as he climbed in beside them. Lelouch noticed he had already managed to divest himself of his boots, cape, and jacket, leaving him only in shirt and pants. A shifting of the bed gave tell to Kallen's appearance, similarly clad. Lelouch looked them over in appreciation. The black and gold fabric stretched quite nicely over Kallen's breasts and Suzaku's shoulders.

"We'll just have to get them off of him." Kallen slid around Suzaku to straddle Lelouch, making his breath catch as she settled against his crotch. "Hmm... I've heard silk conducts touch very well. Let's find out if it's true." She bent to brush her lips against his chest, kissing until she found a nipple, which she teased with her teeth through the silk. Lelouch arched up against her, his cock rapidly hardening. "I'd say that's a yes."

"Tease."

"Going to have to live up to that, aren't I?" Kallen smirked, and carefully undid the first button with her teeth, licking and sucking on the revealed flesh. Lelouch moaned. If anything, Kallen's smirk grew larger and she continued downward, slowly undoing buttons as she went.

"Not fair," Lelouch protested, reaching for Kallen's shirt. He wasn't going to be the only one naked. Suzaku helped him find the zipper in the back, freeing it. Kallen paused long enough to slide it off, revealing a sexy black bra underneath it. Lelouch stared at it in surprise - not that it didn't do lovely things to accent her breasts, but he never thought he'd see Kallen in something with lace.

Suzaku leaned in close to Lelouch's ear. "It drives Gino wild." He nibbled on the outer edge of Lelouch's ear, earning a squirm of pleasure. Kallen smirked approvingly, as she finished unbuttoning Lelouch's shirt, pushing it aside.

"It does," Gino freely admitted. He grasped Kallen's breasts from behind her, giving them a squeeze before lowering his mouth to her neck, sucking on the spot where it met her shoulders. Kallen let out a low, throaty moan, pressing her hips down and rubbing against Lelouch's throbbing cock. Lelouch barely managed to keep from echoing her. Watching the two of them like that was... not unappealing, not at all.

"Seven, why don't you take a turn with our Majesty?" Gino almost purred. "Come here, Eight." He rolled her over, off of Lelouch, to pin her to the bed, proceeding to kiss his way down from her throat to her breasts. Undoing her bra with remarkable efficiently, he then brought his mouth to her left breast, sucking on the nipple. Kallen fisted her hand in his hair, letting out another one of those deep moans. Lelouch moved his hips a little in response to the sound.

Suddenly Suzaku was there, stroking him through his pants. Lelouch couldn't stifle his cry this time, the sound coming out low and hoarse. "I think someone needs something," Suzaku whispered into his ear as he lifted Lelouch's hips and stripped him of pants and underwear in one swift motion. "Let's take the edge off."

"Suzaku, what- oh my _God_." Lelouch couldn't help thrusting into Suzaku's mouth as it took in his cock, tongue running up and down it while his teeth barely touched him. A hand settled under his balls, caressing what Suzaku couldn't reach while he moved his head up and down his length. "Suzaku," he managed breathlessly, "I'm not going to be able to-!"

Apparently Suzaku didn't care, because he didn't pull away as Lelouch came hard in his mouth. If anything, he only looked pleased as he licked up the mess. "I know."

"Hey! Why did _you_get to get him first?" Kallen glared- or attempted to, although the effect was lessened as Gino was still avidly expressing his appreciation of her bosom. It was a good look for her, Lelouch thought as he lay against the sheets, exhausted.

"Well, you can have 'im next," Suzaku replied, sounding entirely too pleased with himself.

"Get over here and put that talented mouth to use, Suzaku. See how much she's complaining then," Gino said, grinning as he stripped Kallen of her pants.

Lelouch was a bit bemused to realize that she wasn't wearing any underwear.

"My pleasure." Suzaku shifted, settling between Kallen's legs and lowering his head. Whatever he was doing seemed to get her approval, because she became more and more vocal, panting heavily.

"He loves doing that, you know. Totally in control of the situation that way," Gino told Lelouch with a kiss, shedding his shirt.

"I see," Lelouch murmured. He didn't, really, but it seemed like Gino expected a response.

"Fuck yes, Kururugi- just like that- ah!" Kallen cried out in pleasure, falling back against the bed. Suzaku lifted his head, looking even more pleased. "Damn, you're good," she declared with a sigh.

"Lots of practice." He leaned up and kissed her.

That, Lelouch decided, was also extremely hot. He apparently had a voyeuristic streak. Who would've thought?

"Worthy of a reward, milady?" Gino asked, tugging Suzaku away from her so he could get better access to the bulge in his pants.

"Definitely." Kallen smirked. "Strip, boys."

They did so, Gino pressing Suzaku down to the bed, stroking his cock with his hand. Suzaku pulled him into a kiss, returning the favor. Neither lasted long before collapsing against the sheets. Lelouch couldn't really blame them. Just taking in Suzaku with Kallen had been enough to, ah, catch his interest; add what Suzaku and Gino had just done-

"I think his Majesty likes watching," Kallen teased, sliding closer to him. "It's very nice you have such a large bed, you know."

"Have problems with the ones in the Rounds section?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "You could buy a new one, you know. It isn't like you don't have the money."

"We didn't want to make it _completely _obvious."

"Not a surprise to you, huh," noted Suzaku as Lelouch rolled his eyes at Kallen's pronouncement.

Lelouch shook his head. "I've known longer than you think - almost since the beginning. Do you think I know you three so poorly?"

"Hmmm, not at all," Gino conceded, shifting so Suzaku could breathe. "I'll second the comment on the bed, though."

"That sounds like a request to do this again," Lelouch observed, voice carefully neutral.

The other three froze, looking at each other. "...Would you mind?" Kallen asked after a moment of silence.

"Not at all." And... he didn't - he was looking forward to it, in fact. The bed was too damned big to sleep alone in, anyway. It would be nice to have someone to share it with who he actually cared about.

Kallen kissed him then, hard, press him against the bed. His cock twitched as she settled over him. "Excellent," she purred, her lips meandering across his throat. "Let's take this slow so you can catch up, shall we?" She grinned wickedly, and set about teasing him with her mouth, working her way slowly down to his thighs, which proved to be surprisingly sensitive.

"Hmmm. He might have been a virgin, but he certainly appears to be interested again already." Gino looked pleased. "Maybe his stamina won't be too bad once we get him properly broken in."

"I am not a horse, Weinberg," Lelouch objected, though whatever else he was about to say was forgotten as Kallen lowered herself carefully onto his cock. "God-" He thrust into her wet heat almost instinctively.

"Nice and deep," Kallen said huskily, grinding on him. Lelouch let out a little desperate sound he couldn't identify, clutching her to him. She continued to rock as he stiffened within her, one hand sliding down her body to rub at her clit. "Hmm, just like that, Lelouch- mm, yes- let me- ahh!" She let out a cry as she shifted. "Perfect- right there! Don't stop-"

"Who's the Emperor here?" Gino teased.

"Don't get him started," Suzaku muttered, his eyes never leaving the two of them.

Apparently, Lelouch reflected as he pulled Kallen down for another kiss, he wasn't the only one who liked watching. He wasn't paying them much attention, though, because she was feeling tighter and tighter by the second and he wasn't sure he could- He gasped as Kallen tightened around him, and with one last thrust he came as well, falling limp against the pillows.

"Definitely got potential," Kallen observed, sounding pleased. Suzaku "hmm"ed in agreement, nudging her off Lelouch so he could quickly, roughly take her, pounding her into the mattress.

"Fuck, Kururugi," she managed, breathless. "You never do get enough, do you?"

"Don't hear you complaining," came Suzaku's reply, his voice low and gruff as he rubbed at her clit, setting her off with a cry.

"Freak of nature," Gino said affectionately. _He, _at least, looked ready to call it a night.

"You only now figured that out? I pegged him for it the first time I saw him," Lelouch stated, keeping an eye on the two of them as he absently pondered how to get under the blankets. They had been right - he was so relaxed now he could barely move.

"Keeps the customer satisfied- oh _God_, Suzaku how do you- _hmhmhm_." Kallen broke off into incoherency as she came again, and her partner let out a groan himself as he followed suit. "Guh. Sleep."

"Sounds good," Suzaku agreed. He shifted her and then Lelouch, tugging the blankets up over them. Gino managed to crawl under them himself.

"…shouldn't we brush our teeth?" Lelouch wasn't sure he could get out of bed, though.

"Oh, just go to sleep, Lelouch."

* * *

><p>Suzaku wasn't sure what to think when the summons had come. Lelouch hadn't <em>seemed <em>upset this morning - in fact, he had been quite willing to indulge Gino when he'd protested he hadn't gotten a chance with his Emperor the night before - but who knew whether he had changed his mind since then? The man had a terrible tendency to overthink things to the point of absurdity. He often complained that Suzaku, in particular, didn't think enough, but Suzaku was privately of the opinion that Lelouch really needed to learn to go with the flow.

"Any idea what this is about?" Suzaku murmured to Kallen as he knocked on the door to Lelouch's office.

"Nope - but Gino isn't here, so I don't think it's about… last night." Kallen barely whispered the last. They all understood Lelouch's desire to protect his reputation. He was still new in his position after all.

"Enter."

The pair did so, saluting, only relaxing when Lelouch waved at them to be at ease. "I called you here to discuss your current status." Suzaku felt his heart stop. "Bismarck is retiring."

"What?"

Lelouch smiled, probably because they had spoken in unison. "His injuries are bothering him and he doesn't feel he can properly handle the job anymore. I've been thinking about who to replace him with for quite some time, and I believe I've come to a conclusion. "

Suddenly Suzaku understood. Lelouch had been trying to chose between his friends, and yet been unable to do so without hurting their feelings. He took a deep breath, and resolved to support Lelouch's decision no matter who he chose. Even if Kallen got the position, she would undoubtedly ask for governorship of Area 11. She was half Japanese, after all...

"Gino doesn't want the job, which made it a bit easier." Lelouch smiled again. "Kallen, would you be the new Knight of One? It will mean quite a bit more work - you'll need more classes on diplomacy and tactics. I expect you to be the leader of the Knights of the Round in more than just name, and you'll have to represent me as well. If you don't want it, I understand."

"I want it." Kallen's blue eyes all but glowed with pleasure. "I will serve you to the best of my ability, my lord."

"Good." Lelouch turned to look at Suzaku. "However... I find that the Knight of One position is far too heavy for one person to undertake. I'm splitting the duties. Kallen, you will still be my representative and leader of the Rounds. However, my personal safety will be left to the Knight of Zero, equal to the Knight of One in rank and privileges. Would you be willing, Suzaku?"

"Yes, my Lord." And it was then that Suzaku knew Nunnally had been right, as she so often was. Her brother did care for them just as much as he loved his sisters. Funny how she had been the only one to recognize it... but Nunnally often saw things others missed. "My life before yours, always."

Lelouch nodded. "Very well. I'll draw up the proper documents, and then we'll have the ceremony in a few weeks. Oh - and you two can figure out who gets Area 11 between yourselves." He smirked slightly. "I promised to delegate, after all. Dismissed."

Suzaku managed to contain his excitement until they left his office. "I can't believe..." A dream, one that had seemed so impossible when Empress Marianne held it before him when he'd begun his training in Pendragon, but even then he had striven towards it, hoping he might be able to do something for his people…

"This is so amazing." Kallen grinned. "I'll let you be my sub-viceroy."

"Hell no. _You_ should be _my _sub-viceroy!"

"Oh, _please_."

"Duel you for it."

"What do you think I am, stupid?"

"Only if you ask Lelouch," Gino interrupted, walking up to them. "Well?"

"We'll tell you once we get back to the practice yards." Suzaku glanced around. It wouldn't do to announce it before Lelouch did. He got out of sorts when someone stole his thunder. "Let's just say Lelouch definitely earned some… special treatment tonight. Do you still have that black box, Gino?" Not that Lelouch did this just to please them. Suzaku knew he must truly believe this was the best for the Empire - but that didn't mean that they couldn't express their appreciation.

"Indeed I do." Gino smirked. "Nine o'clock?"

"Sounds excellent."

Lelouch would definitely have to get used to delegating, Suzaku reflected as the three of them walked together to the Rounds' practice yards. There was no way he was going to be able to keep up his old schedule by the time they were through with him.


End file.
